Africa’s main international football competition is back with a promise of star-studded action taking place in six cities across the host nation, Morocco. The current champions of the biennial tournament are Côte d’Ivoire, and they are joined by 23 other national teams in a bid to grab Africa’s biggest trophy.

Quick take: Hosts Morocco and their team of elite players are among the favourites to win the tournament, despite not having enjoyed the feat since 1976. Fellow North African teams Algeria and Egypt are also tipped as favourites, with stars like Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Salah within their ranks, respectively. Other big names to keep an eye on are Senegal’s Sadio Mané and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen.

When it’s happening: The group stage is happening right now, leading to the knockout round matches played from 3–6 January. Quarter-finals are on 9–10 January and semi-finals are slated for 14 January. The final is on 18 January.